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Watch the upcoming 2015 Mercedes-Benz Maybach take on the Nurburgring

August 19, 2014

Ultra-high-end S-class gains a foot in length, a whole lotta prestige

Maybach is on its way back -- though as an ultra-high-end trim level for the new S-Class sedan rather than a stand-alone marque. And this clip of what appears to be a Maybach sedan testing on the Nürburgring, courtesy of the dedicated ’Ring videographers at TouriClips, shows just how close to reality this Bentley Mulsanne competitor really is.

Based on what we can see in the video, the car will look more or less like our early rendering -- except the additional length (about a foot) seems to sit behind the rear doors in the area covered by black camouflage. The result is a more elegant roofline than we guessed at, but the overall proportions are more or less spot-on.

Unlike the Maybach 57 and 62, which were based on the architecture of the Mercedes-Benz W140 -- a sturdy platform, but one that the S-class had already replaced by the time the Maybachs went into production -- this new luxe sedan will share its underpinnings with the current W222 S-class.

Mercedes-Benz will be bringing back the Maybach name for the extra-long-wheelbase S-class, which is expected to go on sale by the end of this year. This version of the S-class will be a third ...

There’s not much to hear in the video. Wind noise and tire screech as the long sedan hustles around the corners of the Nordschleife is about all the videographers managed to pick up. We don’t expect a gnarly exhaust note from the S600-sourced V12 or S500-sourced V8 that will likely sit under the hood, as luxurious smoothness is part of Maybach’s rep, but we’re sure Benz tuner Brabus will be able to fix that for the right price.

We shouldn’t have to wait long to see the new Maybach -- previous reports suggested it would emerge before the end of 2014, and the car in the above video looks more or less ready to sell to the world’s elite. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but expect to pay $250,000 to $300,000.

If that’s not enough for you, there’s always the Pullman limousine Benz has reportedly developed with the help of Brabus.

Graham Kozak
- Graham Kozak drove a 1951 Packard 200 sedan in high school because he wanted something that would be easy to find in a parking lot. He thinks all the things they're doing with fuel injection and seatbelts these days are pretty nifty too.
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